I FROWN AS music starts blaring through the spacious room, specifically "Old Town Road".  I groan through my sleepy haze as I slowly come to the surface and roll over onto my back. I peak one eye open, almost blinding myself and through a blurry gaze directed at the open door, I watch as Vera struts through. 

The morning sun was streaking in through the window above my head, giving her a glow and making her look like a angel in her silk white night gown. She also had a cowboy hat and on her head and where she got it from, I have no damn clue. 

But it was fucking hilarious as she begins dancing at the foot of the king sized bed. 

Vera and I shared the bed while Penn, like the legend she is, offered to sleep on the rather large sofa pushed against the left wall of the spacious room. Honestly, it looked more comfortable than the bed and I was kinda jealous. 

"Yeaaaaahhhh! I'm gonna take my horse to the old town road...." Vera sings loudly into her toothbrush-slash-microphone, probably waking every single person in the house. Curse her and her great genes, allowing her to look so great so damn early in the morning. The audacity. 

She then jumps on the bed, almost squashing me as we all erupt in a fit of laughter. Penn then joins us, looking like a delicious burrito while wrapped  in her pale blue comforter as she collapses between us. 

"So, my lovelies, what's on the agenda for today?" Vera questions, brushing her dark curls off her golden face. 

I shrug, "Well, I do need to buy some Christmas presents."

"Shopping sounds absolutely wonderful!" Vera cheers, kicking her legs up to the roof as she grabs her toes. "I need some new clothes to fit in my suitcase." 

"Do you though?" Penn questions, rolling onto her stomach like an adorable Caterpillar and cocking a dark red eyebrow at her best friend. 

Vera gasps before playfully swatting Penn on the head with a soft white pillow. Penn gasps back for pouncing onto her knees and snatching a pillow into her chest. 

I roll off the bed instantly before I became yet another victim of Penn's ruthless pillow fighting I laugh at the two girls as I turn, leaving them to have fun, and exit the room. 

I make my way down stairs, my bare feet quietly padding against the wooden floorboards and I shuffle  into the kitchen. After being woken up at the most god awful time in the morning, the time being 9:12, I was in dire need of coffee. 

David's super fancy coffee machine made it easier and as the coffee poured into the large striped mug, I honestly pondered the idea of smuggling it back to Caldwell. I mean, he could afford ten more so it sounds like a win-win situation to me. 

I take a sip, blowing at the surface of the coffee as if it would cool down in seconds, and rest back against the bench. 

Chase then decides to casually stroll into the kitchen in that exact moment; shirtless with his glorious abs and tattoos on display. 

Then, I choke. 

I cough violently, the hot liquid burning my tongue and the back of my throat as I instantly place down the mug before I drop it and double over.

"Holy shit, Jones. Are you okay?" Chase questions, seemingly concerned but  I could here the laughter as he nears me. Once I was kinda breathing again, I glance up at him through watering eyes while panting heavily with my hands on my knees. 

"Just peachy." I wheeze as Chase laughs, shaking his head. I clear my throat before straightening my spine and glancing at Chase as he bypasses my almost-death scene and heads to the fridge. I clear my throat, "How did you sleep?" 

"Fine." Chase answer as he pulls out a simple bottle of water from the fridge. Really? I could've died because of a damn plastic water bottle. "But Noah had taken a majority of the bed as well as the sheets." 

I swallow my coffee and laugh, "Of course he did." 

"You?" 

"Vera's a big sleep cuddler. It was like sleeping with a boa constrictor." I explain in detail  watching carefully as he takes a sip of water. My mouth began watering at the simple manoeuvre and my knees became weak. Arms are heavy, there's vomit on his sweater, mom's spaghetti-oh my god, shut the fuck up Hayden.

Chase screws the lid back on,  "It's not the same as the dorm, that's for fucking sure." 

I pout, "Awww, do you miss me Everett?" 

Chase smirks and opens his mouth and I ready myself for his usual asshole-ish retort, but instead David walks into the kitchen at that exact moment. 

"Morning." He greets through the awkward silence with a grin, "Did you both sleep well?" 

"Kinda. Can I take that mattress back? It's like sleeping on a damn  cloud." I smile like I was high and in heaven at the same time. David laughs at me as he pulls out eggs from the fridge as well as a packet of fresh bacon.

"Sure, if it can fit in your suitcase." David replies, smiling at me from across the large kitchen island and Chase hums. 

"You shouldn't have said that David. She'll fucking do it." Chase chuckles to himself as he takes another sip of the water. 

I narrow my eyes, "Challenge accepted."

♤♤♤♤

I couldn't help but burst in to laughter at the sight of Vera's face as her honey brown eyes gaze over the antique shelf before us. She glances up at me before her eyes sharpen into a glare. 

"Look, I get this isn't a fifty story shopping mall in Manhattan but some of this stuff is...cute." I say, picking up a handmade doll and cuddling it to my cheek as I smile sweetly, Vera rolls her eyes. 

"That's voodoo shit, Hay. You're probably suffocating someone." Vera chuckles as she slowly shuffles her way around the shelf to meet me. I put it back down, instantly spooked. 

"Hopefully Everett." I wink at her as she shakes her head, still laughing though. We walk side by side down the aisle and I notice the emptiness of this little boutique, it just added to the creepiness. Vera was right, most of the stuff in here looked like it could be used in witchcraft or something. 

"Guys, how adorable is this?" Penelope questions, holding up at stuffed toy to us at the end of the aisle. 

Vera nods, "Sure, if death is adorable." 

"Shhh! Don't say that, V." I hush her, my finger over my lips, "It might follow you home and murder you in your sleep." 

"Oh fuck." Vera slaps her forehead as both Penn and I laugh at her. We left after that because Vera was entirely spooked by the shop while Penn and I were having a field day teasing her about it. 

We continue down Ocean Parade, the main shopping street of Holden Bay. The closest thing we had to a shopping mall was Atlantic City, a massive food court right on the board walk. 

We had more luck after that shop, ironically because Vera thought we had been cursed by the elderly woman behind the counter. I find an adorable like key chain with a Dolphin, remembering the three-part dolphin documentary Levi couldn't stop boasting about for a solid week. 

It was harder when it came to buying gifts for the girls because I had to be sneaky. But then turns out they were being sneaky and when we all arrived at the cashier at the exact same time, we all cracked up laughing. 

I hadn't realized how long we had been shopping together until I glanced at my phone, seeing all the snap chats Noah had sent the group chat, showing us how much fun the guys were having without us. The last one was Noah apologizing and saying that he lied. He was too cute. 

We were walking down the street, back to where I had parked my mother's car when we passed a music shop. It was really adorable inside so I told the girls I'd meet them back at the car and went in. 

I walked around in the empty shop, noticing all the bizarre music instruments. When I passed the front desk, something caught my eye behind the glass. 

"That's a good one." The cashier mumbles as he stands from his stool, "Nine karat gold and it comes with a free inscription."

The guitar pick was really beautiful but also simple at the same time. Everett owns a guitar which he keeps in the corner of the dorm room. He told me he doesn't play much anymore. He's snapped all his plastic picks because I've seen them in the top drawer of his nightstand. 

I smile up at him, "I'll take it." 

The inscription took quicker than I was expecting and when I returned from getting frozen yogurt from an adorable cart outside, it was ready. The red head man with a goatee that looked like his chin was on fire handed me a small little paper bag. 

When I get back to the car, I was not surprised to see Vera performing a one woman show in the empty car park next to them while Penn sat in the backseat, clapping along to the music that was blaring from the speakers.

I can't help but laugh as I watch them. They're crazy but I love them so fucking much. 

♤♤♤♤

 We were so tired when we finally stumbled through the large doors of David's house. Both Vera and Penn crashed on the bed and I considered sleeping on the couch when I noticed a particular boy walking out to the ocean's shore through the large window. 

I grab a grey hoodie and quickly zip it up as I run down the stairs and outside. I lamely stumble down the sand dunes, my big ass feet sinking into the warm sand. When I reach him, I take a seat and cross my legs underneath me. 

"Have fun shopping?" Levi asks, turning his head as he glances at me. 

I nod, my blonde hair whipping against my face thanks to the wind, "So much fun. Who doesn't like walking around for five hours until your feet ache and blisters burn on the soles of your feet?" 

Levi laughs, as in a genuine laugh. It's an uncommon sound but I think it's becoming one of my favorites. We shared the same dark humor and excessive amount of sarcasm, which is why I always found it so easy to talk to him. 

"What about you?" I question, nudging his arm, "Did you have as much fun as Noah was snap chatting?" 

"We played video games." Levi answers simply, "Chase challenged David to some competition in Grand Theft Auto, got annihilated, and his cocky ass had to jump into the ocean in just his underwear." 

Like roommate like roommate, huh? 

"Damn, I so should've been there." I exclaim, entirely gutted as Levi chuckles, "So David's a video gamer and a doctor?" 

"The whole package, as Noah put. Noah has basically named David his mentor and idolizes the fuck out of him." Levi explains as I burst into laughter because that is Noah to a fucking T.

We settle into a comfortable silence after that, watching the waves roll in and out. Levi would tell me a few dolphin facts here and there which I found extremely interesting. 

"Fucking hell you guys are boring!" A shout resonates from behind as and we both turn around to see my cousin stumbling over the sand in his pompous striped sweat and dark ray bans, "I thought I'd find you two little trouble makers with your tongues shoved down each other's throats. I have never been so ashamed, Hayden." 

I laugh, "Sorry to disappoint." 

"So you guys are just sitting here, looking at the ocean, in silence?" Spencer asks as he stands behind us, hands on his hips. I squint up at him, covering my eyes with the shade of my hand. 

"Well it was silence before your loud ass interrupted it." I state aprubty as Spencer pokes his tongue at me. "What do you want, cousin dearest?" 

"Aunt Andrea told me to tell you that we're all going out for Italian food and that you should get ready. I'm not going out with you looking like that." Spencer, ever the fashionista, says in disgust as he points down at me. 

"What? What's wrong with this?" I question as I point down at my clothes. I glance at Levi in outrage and confusion as he scans my clothes and shakes his head as if silently saying nothing. I turn back to Spencer as he chuckles and pats my head. 

"You're adorable Hayden." Spencer pouts at me before turning around and strutting back to the house. Oh no he doesn't. 

"Hey! Come back here bitch!" I shout after him as I push to my feet. Levi's surprised and tries to to follow as I run after my cousin, "I'm going to kick your ass so hard Spencer!" 

"Just because it's bigger than yours!" He cackles he begins sprinting away from me. And to think, this a regular occurrence between us two cousin. 

look i know i said i'd update sunday (nz time) but like is aid, i'm unpredictable as fuck. 

plus i've been reading all your comments, you might not think i do but it's literally the first thing i do when i wake up because you guys make me so damn happy. 

so here you go and i'll also probably update later today or tomorrow because you guys are just fucking awesome.